ii

© ACD Systems Ltd. 2002, 2001 All rights reserved.

iii

Table of Contents

ACD Systems at the Hub of Digital Imaging ________________________________________1

Chapter 1 Getting Started ______________________________________________2System Requirements ____________________________________________________________2Installing and Uninstalling __________________________________________________________3Starting FotoSlate ________________________________________________________________3

Chapter 2 FotoSlate User Interface ____________________________________5FotoSlate Workspace ______________________________________________________________5FotoSlate Toolbar __________________________________________________________________6FotoSlate Options ________________________________________________________________7

Page Color Properties ________________________________________________________8FotoSlate Image Editor ____________________________________________________________9

Image Editor Toolbar __________________________________________________________9

Chapter 3 Using FotoSlate ____________________________________________11Adding Images and Templates ______________________________________________________11

Templates ____________________________________________________________________11Creating a Layout __________________________________________________________________12Manipulating Images ______________________________________________________________13Adding Multipage Images __________________________________________________________13Editing Images ____________________________________________________________________14Adding Text to a Layout ____________________________________________________________15Saving and Printing Layouts ________________________________________________________16

Printing ______________________________________________________________________17Viewing FotoSlate PLP Files ________________________________________________________17

Opening PLP Files in FotoSlate ________________________________________________18

Chapter 4 Using the Image Editor______________________________________19Rotating, Flipping and Cropping Images ____________________________________________19Adjusting Colors and Levels ________________________________________________________20Using Filters ______________________________________________________________________21

Blur __________________________________________________________________________21Sharpen ______________________________________________________________________21Despeckle ____________________________________________________________________21Sepia and Colorize ____________________________________________________________22

Chapter 5 Template Designer User Interface __________________________23Template Designer Workspace ______________________________________________________23Template Designer Tools __________________________________________________________24

Toolbar ______________________________________________________________________24Tool Palette __________________________________________________________________25Alignment Tools ______________________________________________________________25

Template Designer Options ________________________________________________________26

Page Properties ______________________________________________________________26Grid Properties ________________________________________________________________26Printer Margins ______________________________________________________________27

Chapter 6 Using the Template Designer________________________________28Creating, Opening and Saving Templates ____________________________________________28

Saving Templates ____________________________________________________________29Opening Templates ____________________________________________________________29

Adding Image and Text Objects ____________________________________________________29Aligning Objects ______________________________________________________________30Linking Objects ______________________________________________________________30Object Order __________________________________________________________________31

Defining Image and Text Properties ________________________________________________31Preset Text ____________________________________________________________________32

Exporting and Importing Templates ________________________________________________33

Chapter 7 Creating a Template Tutorial ________________________________34

Appendix 1: Supported Image Formats ______________________________37

Appendix 2: FotoSlate Keyboard Shortcuts __________________________38

Appendix 3: Template Designer Keyboard Shortcuts __________________39

Appendix 4: Contacting ACD Systems ________________________________40Technical Support ____________________________________________________________40Feedback ____________________________________________________________________40

Index ____________________________________________________________________41

iv

ACD Systems at the Hub of Digital Imaging

Based in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, ACD Systems designs, develops and markets digital imag-ing and corporate communications software that meets the needs of home and professional users.ACD has millions of consumer users and over 33,000 corporate customers including many Fortune 500companies. To serve our global customers well, our web content is available in 12 languages alongwith many of our products for PC and Macintosh®.

ACD Systems continues to capitalize on the explosive growth in the use of digital images via cameras,scanners, PDAs and the Internet. We have strong strategic alliances with value added resellers (VARs),original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), retailers, software publishers and distributors throughoutNorth America and worldwide. Plus, our unique platform model and Software Development Kit (SDK)is available to third-party companies to develop their own imaging solutions that can be integrated withour software.

1

2

With FotoSlate™, you can create, save, and print multiple page layouts of your digital images.FotoSlate includes hundreds of templates that use a variety of layouts and paper sizes. You can usetemplates that incorporate images and text, or you can create your own templates using the integratedTemplate Designer. Drag images onto templates, and add formatted text captions. You can include spe-cific file information in layouts and recall and edit saved layouts. Use the Page Alignment Test option tosave ink and photographic paper. FotoSlate can run as a stand-alone product (operated independentlyof other ACD Systems products), or as a plug-in for use with ACD Systems plug-in enabled software.

You can use FotoSlate’s Image Editor to edit individual images with tools like shrink to fit, rotate, flip,color and light levels, crop, blur, sharpen, despeckle, sepia and colorize.

FotoSlate layouts are saved using the .plp extension and can be viewed by other ACD Systems plug-inenabled products.

System Requirements

FotoSlate runs on computer systems meeting the minimum requirements specified below. Forimproved performance, we recommend a system that exceeds these requirements.

Minimum System Requirements

• Windows 95/98/NT 4.0/2000/Me/XP• 32 MB RAM• Pentium class processor• 10 MB free hard disk drive space• Microsoft® Internet Explorer 5.0

1Chapter 1

Getting Started

Minimum Plug-in Compatibility

• ACDSee 3.1 (SR-1)• PicaView 2.0

Installing and Uninstalling

You can install from a CD or an executable downloaded from the Internet.

To install FotoSlate from a CD-ROM:

1. Insert the CD into the CD-ROM drive.2. Click the Start button and click Run | Browse.3. Select the CD drive in the Look in drop-down box.4. Select Setup.exe.5. Click Open.6. Click OK to run the installation. Follow the instructions in the Install wizard.

To install FotoSlate from an executable file:

1. Double-click the executable file.2. Click Next to start the install process. Follow the instructions in the Install wizard.

To uninstall FotoSlate from your system:

1. From the Start menu, click Settings | Control Panel.2. Double-click Add/Remove Programs.3. Select ACD FotoSlate.4. Click Change/Remove. Follow the instructions in the Uninstall wizard.

Starting FotoSlate

You can open FotoSlate as a stand-alone program and as a plug-in from ACDSee and PicaView.FotoSlate supports many popular image formats.

To start the stand-alone version of FotoSlate:

1. On the Start menu, click Programs | ACD Systems.2. Click FotoSlate.

To start FotoSlate from ACDSee 3.1 (SR-1), do one of the following:

• Click Plug-ins | FotoSlate.• Click the FotoSlate shortcut button.

3

To start FotoSlate from ACDSee 4.0 or greater:

1. Click Tools | Activities | Create.2. Double-click FotoSlate.

You can select the images you want to use in your layout before starting FotoSlate. To do this, selectthe desired images in ACDSee and open FotoSlate.

To start FotoSlate from PicaView, follow these steps:

1. Select one or more images in Windows® Explorer™.2. Right-click the selection and from the shortcut menu select Plug-ins | FotoSlate.

4

FotoSlate contains a simple and easy to use interface with customizable commands, and image andtext handling. FotoSlate comes standard with an image editor for quick image touch ups and colorchanges.

FotoSlate Workspace

The FotoSlate workspace includes three areas:• A toolbar that provides button shortcuts to commonly used commands.• A left pane that contains thumbnails of images added to FotoSlate for use in a layout.• A right pane that is the main work area for creating and editing layouts.

5

2Chapter 2

FotoSlate User Interface

The FotoSlate workspace contains shortcut menus that can be accessed from both the right and leftpanes. The availability of each menu option depends on what image or area you have selected in thepane.

To open a shortcut menu:

Right-click in a pane.

Left Pane Shortcut Menu Options

Rotate Clockwise Rotates the image clockwiseRotate Rotates the image counterclockwiseCounterclockwise

Adjust/Enhance Opens the image using the Image EditorImage

Remove Image(s) Removes the image from the left paneProperties Displays file information such as image path, format, size, as well as

any associated ACDSee database information (with the plug-in applic-ation)

Right Pane Shortcut Menu Options

Add Page Opens the Add Page dialog boxShrink Image to Fit Turns ‘Shrink to fit’ on or off for the selected imageRotate Clockwise Rotates the image clockwiseRotate Rotates the image counterclockwiseCounterclockwise

Adjust/Enhance Opens the image using the Image EditorImage

Remove from Page Removes the image from the page templateCaption/Text Entry Opens the Text Entry dialog box if availableProperties Displays file information such as image path, format, and size

FotoSlate Toolbar

The toolbar provides shortcuts to commonly used commands available in FotoSlate menus.Add Images Opens a dialog box where you can select images to add to your

layoutAdjust Opens the currently selected image in the Image Editor.New Opens a new layoutOpen Opens a dialog box where you can select previously saved layout files

(.plp extension)Save Opens a dialog box where you can save the current layout using the

.plp extension

6

Print Opens the Print dialog boxUndo Cancels the previous operationRedo Repeats the previously cancelled operationDesigner Opens the Template DesignerAdd Page Opens a dialog box where you can select one or more templates to

use in the current layoutView Opens a drop-down menu where you can control the presentation of

pages in a layout by selecting from:• Fit Width: Stretches the page to fit the entire width of the

right pane.• Fit Page: Shows the entire page.• Two Pages: Displays two pages, side-by-side.• Four Pages: Displays four pages together.• 10, 25, 50 and 100% views are available.

Help Opens the Help file

FotoSlate Options

FotoSlate contains global options that define how images, text, and printing operations are handledwhen a layout is created.

To set FotoSlate options:

1. Click Edit | Preferences.2. Select from the available options.3. Click OK.

Images Options

Shrink images to Reduces the size of an image so it fits in the image area on a pagefit when placed

on pages

Ask me how to Prompts you when an Autofill (selected image automatically fillshandle Autofill image areas in a page) is about to occurpages

Create one page Fills all of the image objects on a page with one imageper image

Use each image to Places each image in only one image area on a page, even if thefill one image area page has Autofill selectedper page

Ask me if adjustments Prompts you to apply changes to images already in a layout if theto thumbnails should related thumbnail has been editedbe applied to page

images

7

Text Options

Warn me when text is Prompts you when the text added to a text area on a page is tootoo large to fit in a text largearea

Shrink text to fit Reduces the text size so that it fits in the text areaShow text area Displays the outline of the text areaoutlines

Warn me if text data Prompts you if a drag-and-drop operation is going to cause a losswill be lost during a of informationdrag-and-drop

operation

Printing Options

Warn me when unknown Prompts you if you are trying to print using a paper size that yourpaper sizes are being printer does not supportused to print

Use the pages’ Prints the selected background color in a layoutbackground colorwhen printing

Page Color Properties

You can change the color properties of each page in a layout.

To open the properties for a specific page:

Double-click anywhere on the page where there is not an image or text area.

To apply color to a page:

1. Select Use background color.2. Click the Color button.3. Select a color.4. Click OK.

8

FotoSlate Image Editor

Touch up your photos with the easy-to-use enhancement features of the Image Editor.

Image Editor Toolbar

The Image Editor toolbar contains button shortcuts to frequently used menu options. Changes made toan image using the Image Editor do not affect the original image, only the thumbnail reference withinFotoSlate.

Accept Applies any changes you have made to the imageUndo Cancels the previous operationRedo Reapplies the cancelled operationScroll Changes the mouse pointer to a hand that you can click an image with and

move itCrop Opens a window that you can use to reduce the visible area of an imageZoom In Enlarges the viewable size of an imageZoom Out Reduces the viewable size of an imageRotate Opens a dialog box where you can select options to turn an image by 90

degree or 180-degree increments around a center pointFlip Opens a dialog box where you can select options to mirror an image along

the vertical or horizontal axis (rotating the image 180-degrees)

9

Color Opens a dialog box where you can adjust the hue, lightness and saturationof an image

Levels Opens a dialog box where you can adjust the whitepoint, blackpoint,brightness, contrast, and gamma of an image

Auto Levels Adjusts the brightness, contrast, and color balance of an image automati-cally

Blur Opens a dialog box where you can adjust blur levels to soften an image byaveraging the pixels next to the hard edges of defined lines and shadedareas, thereby smoothing the transitions

Sharpen Opens a dialog box where you can adjust sharpen levels to focus blurryimages by increasing the contrast of adjacent pixels

Despeckle Detects the edges in an image (areas where significant color changesoccur) and blurs all of the selection except those edges

Sepia Changes the image colors to shades of reddish brownColorize Opens a dialog box where you can adjust hue and saturation levels to cre-

ate a monochrome image

10

This chapter contains explanations and step-by-step instructions for creating a FotoSlate layout.

Adding Images and Templates

FotoSlate supports multiple image formats that you can add to use in a layout.

To add images to FotoSlate:

1. Do one of the following:• Click the Add Images button.• Click File | Add Images.

2. Select one or more images.3. Click Open.

Templates

A template is an external Extensible Markup Language (XML) file that precisely describes the layout ofa page including page size, orientation, as well as the sizes and positions of the areas where imagesand text can be placed. There are hundreds of templates provided for you, or you can design your ownusing the Template Designer.

FotoSlate is supplied with two distinct types of page templates.Sheet Page Contains multiple images that, when printed, can be cut into individual

pieces similar to portrait sheets from a professional photographer. Photoson these pages are printed edge-to-edge to maximize use of the printablearea. Sheet templates have Autorotate and Autofill options turned on asthe default.

Album Page Presents single or multiple images in an aesthetically pleasing layout, andmay also incorporate text.

11

3Chapter 3

Using FotoSlate

To add a template to your layout:

1. Do one of the following:• Click the Add Page button.• Select Pages | Add Page.

2. Expand the folder tree in the left pane by clicking a Plus (+) sign.3. Select a template.4. Click OK. More templates can be added to the layout by repeating Steps 1 through 4.

All pages in a layout must be of the same orientation and size (i.e., you cannot have one legal sizedpage and a letter sized page in the same layout). You are prompted if incompatible pages are selected.

To remove a template from a layout:

Click the Close Template button in the upper-right corner of the desired template.

Creating a Layout

Once you select one or more images and templates, you can start organizing the pages to create a lay-out.

To place images on a page:

In the left pane, select an image and drag it to the light gray shaded area of a page. Repeatthis for each image that you want to add to the page.

To remove an image from a page:

Right-click an image on a page, and from the shortcut menu, select Remove from Page.

To transfer more than one image onto a page:

1. In the left pane, select more than one thumbnail.2. Drag the images to the light gray shaded area of a page.

If you drag more images than the page can hold, a new template (the same as the previous one) isadded to the layout.

Note:

When you drag a selection of images to a box, the position of the images depend uponthe order number of that image box in the template. For example, if you drag theselection to image box #5, the first image is placed in box #5, the second imagein box #6, etc. When all image boxes are filled, a new page is added. For more informationon image order, please see Object Order.

To move an image from one page to another:

1. Select an image on a page.2. Drag the image from the old page to the new page.

12

Certain image boxes are linked to text boxes (i.e., they are connected). If you move an image to anotherimage box in the layout, any text linked to that image follows the image to the new location (providingthe new image box also contains a linked text box).

Swapping of images occurs when an image is dragged to an image box that is already occupied by animage. The images switch positions.

Manipulating Images

FotoSlate automatically rotates images for best fit when placed on a page, if the Autorotate feature isset. All sheet style templates supplied by ACD Systems have this feature enabled. If the image is toolarge for the area, you can scroll the image so that a portion of it is centered.

To scroll an image:

1. Press Shift (for all instances of the image on a page), or Ctrl (for single image instances). 2. At the same time, hold down the mouse button over the desired image.3. When the pointer turns into either a vertical or a horizontal arrow (depending on the direction

in which the image can be shifted), move the image.

It is possible to rearrange images in a multiple image page. Drag an image to a desired location on thepage and the text that is bound to the image follows it to its new location.

Adding Multipage Images

Use FotoSlate to organize and print multipage images such as TIFFs. Since TIFFs can sometimes containtens or even hundreds of pages of scanned images, FotoSlate condenses the view.

13

When you add a multipage image to FotoSlate, one image thumbnail isdisplayed. This thumbnail contains a small inverted triangle in the lower-leftcorner.

To expand a multipage thumbnail:

Click the inverted triangle.

The view is expanded and all thumbnails associated with the file are selected. Now you can drag thethumbnails onto a template of your choice.

Editing Images

You can enhance the image thumbnails found in the left pane, or edit individual images that havealready been added to a page.

To edit an image:

1. Do one of the following:• Double-click a thumbnail or an image on a page.• Right-click the thumbnail or image, and from the shortcut menu, select

Adjust/Enhance Image.2. Adjust the image using one of the Image Editor options. More information can be found

under Using the Image Editor.3. Click Accept.

If the altered image is already present in one or more templates, a prompt appears (providing youhave that option selected in your Preferences). When you edit an image directly from a page, the editonly affects the selected image, and not the thumbnail or copies of the image on another page in thelayout.

Images are not stored in the layout document; the document only contains references to them (a copyof the root image). This means that any changes to the image using the Image Editor do not affect theoriginal image stored on your disk.

14

To exit the Image Editor without saving changes:

Click File | Cancel.

To save changes made to an image in the Image Editor:

Click Accept.

To revert back to the original image while in the Image Editor:

Click File | Revert. Changes are not saved, but the image remains open in the Image Editor.

AddingText to a Layout

You can add text to templates that contain text boxes. Text can be formatted using different fonts, col-ors, size, and justification.

To add text:

1. Select a page that contains a text box (primarily albumpages). If you can’t find a suitable template, you can buildyour own template using the Template Designer.

2. Double-click the dark gray box.3. In the Enter Text dialog box, type the desired text. You are

prompted if you type too much or the text is too large for thetemplate window (provided you have the Warn me whentext is too large to fit in a text area option selected inyour Preferences).

In the templates that ship with FotoSlate, text boxes are linked to the closest image box (i.e., they areconnected), and move with the image. If you’re unsure if a text box is linked to an image, open the tem-plate in the Template Designer. Linked objects are identified by a dashed line.

To adjust the font, size, and color of the text:

1. Double-click the text box.2. Click Choose Font.3. Adjust the font settings and click OK.

To justify your text:

1. Double-click the text box.2. Click the Justify drop-down arrow.3. Select the appropriate option to right or left justify the text, or center it beneath the image.4. Click OK.

15

To add format characters to the text box:

1. Double-click the text box.2. Click Insert Format Character to open a menu containing a variety of options that add

codes to the text box. These codes correlate to data associated with the file (such as metadataand file information).

3. Select a character option.4. Click OK.

Any metadata associated with the image is not stored in the layout document; this information isfetched from the image as needed.

Format character options that relate to an image are only available when the text box is linked to animage box. If the text box isn't linked, the available options are Page Number and Page Count.

Format Character Options

File Name Inserts the file name without an extension(Without Extension)

File Name Inserts the file name with an extension(With Extension)

Horizontal Resolution Inserts the image’s horizontal resolution (in pixels)Vertical Resolution Inserts the image’s vertical resolution (in pixels)Number of Pages Inserts the number of pages in the file (there can be many pages

when using TIFFs)Number of Colors Inserts the number of colors in the image

Format Character Options (for the Plug-in)

The plug-in version of FotoSlate contains extra format characters that import ACDSee database infor-mation.

Creation Date Inserts the creation date of the fileCreation Time Inserts the creation time of the fileDescription Inserts the description of the imageAuthor Inserts the author nameNotes Inserts notesKeywords Inserts keywords

Saving and Printing Layouts

Save layouts with the FotoSlate .plp extension.

To save a layout:

1. Click File | Save Layout As.2. In the File name field, type a file name.

16

3. Click Save.

To open a previously saved layout:

1. Click File | Open Layout.2. Select the desired PLP file.3. Click Open.

Printing

You can print FotoSlate layouts using a variety of custom printing options. Use the Page Alignment Testoption to print test pages of your layouts.

To print a layout:

1. Click File | Print.2. Select the options explained below.3. Click OK. Each template prints on a separate page.

Options

Print range Specifies the range of pages to print. The All option prints allpages in your layout. The Page option specifies a single page orrange of pages for printing.

Copies Specifies the number of copies to print.Gamma correction Changes the amount of light that is applied to the image. Higher

values are brighter, lower values are darker (the available range is0.9 to 999).

Print test pages/Align Creates a test page that you can print that makes image and textprinter areas with black frames or gray interiors to avoid ink wastage. If

pages do not print to your satisfaction, you can change the hori-zontal and vertical adjustment values. When you are ready toprint the final draft, click OK to go back to the main Print dialogbox.

If you experience problems while printing, please make sure that you have the correct drivers installedfor your printer model. If this does not help, contact ACD Systems for Technical Support.

If the printing process freezes when printing large images, your printer driver may not be able to han-dle the image size. Resize the image and try again.

Viewing FotoSlate PLP Files

FotoSlate provides ACD Systems products, like ACDSee and PicaView, with the ability to view the .plpextension. If a FotoSlate file contains more than one page, the ACD Systems product treats the file likeany other multiple page format, for example, TIFF files. Double-clicking a file with the .plp extensionfrom within Windows® Explorer opens the file in FotoSlate.

17

Opening PLP Files in FotoSlate

FotoSlate references a link to the original image and therefore images must remain on the computer inthe original location. When a .plp file is opened, FotoSlate searches for the associated images on disk,and when an image is found, checks that it is the same as the image referenced in the file. If imagesare missing or mismatched, you are prompted with a dialog box where you can perform searches onyour disk.

18

Touch up your images with the easy to use enhancement features of the Image Editor.

Rotating, Flipping and Cropping Images

You can use the rotate, flip and crop tools to enhance your images before and after adding them to atemplate

To crop an image:

1. Click Crop.2. Do one of the following:

• Resize the crop area; move your mouse pointer to the frame of thewindow, click your mouse button and drag the frame.

• Click Ratios and select from the available size ratios.3. Click OK.

If you crop an image that originates from the thumbnails in the left pane of the main dialog box (asopposed to an image present in a template), a small crop window is displayed on the thumbnail.

To remove a crop:

Click Edit | Remove Crop.

To rotate an image:

1. Click Rotate.2. Click the Rotation button that matches the desired degree of rotation; 90° left, 180°, or 90°

right.3. Click OK.

19

4Chapter 4

Using the Image Editor

To flip an image:

1. Click Flip.2. Click the Horizontal Flip button or the Vertical Flip button.3. Click OK.

Adjusting Colors and Levels

The Colors and Levels tools modify the settings for color, and change the effect of light in an image.These tools are only available for Truecolor images.

To adjust the color balance of an image:

1. Click Color.2. Drag the Hue, Saturation, and Lightness sliders.3. Click OK.

Hue Analyzes the image and selects the predominate color as the 0 value forthe hue. You can adjust the value between -50 and 50 to change the colorof the image.

Saturation Increases the intensity of each color in the image as the saturation valueapproaches 100. The color intensity is decreased as the value approaches100. At a value of -100 the image is grayscale.

Lightness Increases the value of each pixel’s light value. Increasing the value addslight to the image whereas decreasing the value subtracts light. At a valueof 100 the image is all white, and at -100 the image is all black.

To adjust the levels of an image:

1. Click Levels.2. Drag the Whitepoint, Blackpoint, Brightness, Contrast, and Gamma sliders.3. Click OK.

Whitepoint Adjusts the amount of white added to a color. Whitepoint is the lightestcolor in an image. Whitepoint is measured on a scale of 0 to 255.Decreasing the whitepoint value decreases the amount of color in animage and increases the amount of white.

Blackpoint Adjusts the amount of black added to a color. Blackpoint is the darkestcolor in an image. Blackpoint is measured on a scale of 0 to 255. Increasingthe blackpoint value decreases the amount of color in an image andincreases the amount of black.

Brightness Changes the light level for the whole image. A value of 100 makes theimage white and a value of -100 makes the image black.

20

Contrast Changes the brightness levels for different areas of the image. Increasingcontrast makes shadowed areas darker, colored areas brighter with midtones remaining the same. Decreasing the contrast makes all colors closerto the midtone values of the image.

Gamma Changes the amount of light that is applied to the image. Higher valuesare brighter, lower values are darker.

To automatically adjust the levels of an image:

Click Auto Levels. FotoSlate analyzes the images and corrects values to produce a clearerimage.

Using Filters

You can change the look of an image by using filters to add an effect.

Blur

FotoSlate blurs the entire image by averaging the color in adjacent pixels.

To blur an image:

1. Click Blur.2. Drag the Amount slider.3. Click OK.

Sharpen

Sharpening the image Increases the color difference in adjacent pixels to produce a crisper image.

To sharpen an image:

1. Click Sharpen.2. Drag the Amount slider.3. Click OK.

Despeckle

Despeckle reduces the amount of noise (the effect produced when a variety of pixel colors are used inthe same color region) in an image.

To despeckle an image:

Click Despeckle.

21

Sepia and Colorize

You can use the Sepia filter to add a brownish hue to an image or the Colorize filter to add a color hueto an image.

To apply the sepia filter to an image:

Click Sepia.

The original image must be a Truecolor image for the Colorize filter to function. The saturation of thehue can be increased to create a more vivid color or reduced for a more subtle effect. An image withno saturation is grayscale.

To colorize an image:

1. Click Colorize.2. Move the Hue and Saturation sliders.3. Click OK.

22

With the Template Designer you can create XML templates for use in FotoSlate layouts. The TemplateDesigner contains many alignment tools to help you assemble image and text objects to form tem-plates of items such as greeting cards, image collages, newspaper layouts, and posters.

Template Designer Workspace

The Template Designer workspace is divided into three areas: the Folder tree, Preview pane, and PageWork pane. The Template Designer window cannot be minimized.

23

5Chapter 5

Template Designer UserInterface

The Folder tree

The Folder tree displays the folder hierarchy of your template directory. Right-click a pane or a folder todisplay a shortcut menu. The shortcut menu contains commands to create new folders, rename ordelete existing folders, and cut, copy, and paste folders to another location. The Folder tree is dockable;you can grab the pane and place it in different areas of the window or let it float freely in the Page Workpane.

The Preview pane

The Preview pane displays thumbnails of template files present in the currently selected folder in theFolder tree. Right-click a thumbnail to access a shortcut menu, where you can open the template foredit, create a new template, rename, and delete the template, and cut, copy, and paste. The Previewpane is dockable; you can grab the pane and place it in different areas of the window or let it floatfreely in the Page Work pane.

The Page Work pane

The Page Work pane is the workspace for template editing and creation. Multiple templates can beopen in the Page Work pane at the same time, as each template is contained in its own window. A sta-tus bar at the bottom of the pane identifies attributes of the currently selected template.

To open the Template Designer:

From FotoSlate, click the Designer shortcut button.

Template Designer Tools

FotoSlate’s Template Designer contains shortcut buttons and tools for performing a variety of menucommands, and layout creation and alignment functions.

Toolbar

The toolbar provides shortcuts to commands available in the Template Designer menus.

New Opens a new templateOpen Opens the currently selected template from the template listSave Saves the current templateCut Cuts the selection and places it on the ClipboardCopy Copies the selection and places it on the ClipboardPaste Pastes the selection from the ClipboardUndo Reverses the last actionRedo Repeats the reversed actionLink Links or removes the link from selected objectsHelp Opens the Help file

24

Tool Palette

The palette contains tools for selecting objects and creating image and text objects.

Pointer Changes the mouse pointer into the Pointer Tool. With it you can selectobjects on the current page.

Image Places an image box onto the page.

Text Places a text box onto the page.

Alignment Tools

Use the Alignment tools to align text and image objects so that they are the same size and justification.Some alignment tools require you to select more than one object before they are made available. Thelast object selected is the one that all other objects are aligned with.

Align Left Aligns the left edge of one or more objects to match the left edge of thefocused object (the last object selected or identified by a dark blue frame).

Align Right Aligns the right edge of one or more objects to match the right edge of thefocused object (the last object selected or identified by a dark blue frame).

Align Top Aligns the top edge of one or more objects to match the top edge of thefocused object (the last object selected or identified by a dark blue frame).

Align Bottom Aligns the bottom edge of one or more objects to match the bottom edgeof the focused object (the last object selected or identified by a dark blueframe).

Center Centers single and multiple objects vertically on the page.Vertically

Center Centers single and multiple objects horizontally on the page.Horizontally

Space Across Spaces objects horizontally, an equal distance apart.

Space Down Spaces objects vertically, an equal distance apart.

Make Same Sizes the width of selected objects to match the width of the focused objectWidth (the last object selected or identified by a dark blue frame).

25

Make Same Sizes the height of selected objects to match the size of the focused objectHeight (the last object selected or identified by a dark blue frame).

Make Same Sizes the selected objects to match the size of the focused object (the lastSize object selected or identified by a dark blue frame).

Set Grid Opens the Grid Properties dialog box. See Template Designer Options formore information.

Show Margins Opens the Printer Margins dialog box. See Template Designer Options formore information.

Template Designer Options

You can set options for template pages and individual text and image areas.

Page Properties

The Page Properties dialog box contains options for defining a template’s orientation, backgroundcolor, and image handling. The properties apply to the currently selected template in the Page Workpane. Options selected here are defaults to the template when it is selected for use in a layout.

To open the Page Properties dialog box:

Click Tools | Set Page Properties.

The following options are available in the Page Properties dialog box:Portrait Orients the page so that the longer side runs from top to bottomLandscape Orients the page so that the shorter side runs from top to bottomAutofill images Asks you how you want to handle images when you have multiple images

selected in FotoSlate and add a page to the layout (i.e., creates one pageper image, or fills the page with multiple images)

Autorotate Rotates images to best fit when an image is inserted into a FotoSlateimages layoutUse Applies a background color to the template (selected by clicking the Colorbackground button)color

Grid Properties

You can display a grid of vertical and horizontal points that aid in positioning objects on a template.Grid properties are global across all open templates.

26

To open the Grid Properties dialog box, do one of the following:

• Click the Set Grid Properties button.• Click Tools | Set Grid Properties.

The following options are available in the Grid Properties dialog box:Snap to grid Aligns the top left corner of an object (when moving), or the bottom right

corner of an object (when sizing), automatically along your gridGrid visible Displays or hides the gridWidth Sets the horizontal spacing of the grid pointsHeight Sets the vertical spacing of the grid pointsUnits Defines the unit of measurement used when determining the width and

height of the grid points

Printer Margins

Some printers are unable to print from edge to edge, and therefore have an unprintable margin. Youcan view the margins of any printer to design your template within those margins. The TemplateDesigner determines the paper size and margin orientation of the printer via the printer’s drivers. If theprinter does not support the template’s page size, you are prompted.

Printer margins are global across all open templates. The following options are available in the PrinterMargins dialog box:

Name Displays the printer name that the margins are based on. Select from print-ers that are currently installed on your computer.

Margins visible Displays the printer margins.Use margins Provides a guideline for objects already added to the template, and pre

vents further objects from being positioned outside the printer margins.However, resizing image and text objects via their Properties dialog boxcan override margin settings.

27

Templates are receptacles for images and text. Design and build your own templates for creatingFotoSlate layouts such as image collages, greeting cards, and magazine or newspaper layouts.

Creating, Opening and SavingTemplates

The following documents the steps involved in creating a new template and editing an existing tem-plate. It is not possible to edit FotoSlate v1.0 templates with the Template Designer.

To create a new template:

1. Do one of the following:• Click New.• Right-click the Preview pane, and in the shortcut menu, select New Template.

2. Click the Paper Size drop-down arrow and select a paper size.3. Select one of the following orientations:

• Portrait• Landscape

4. Select one or both of the following image handling options:• Autofill images: Asks you how you want to handle images when you have multi-

ple images selected in FotoSlate and add a page to the layout (i.e., creates one pageper image, or fills the page with multiple images).

• Autorotate images: Rotates images to best fit when an image is inserted into aFotoSlate layout.

5. If you’d like the template to contain a background color, select Use background color. Clickthe Color button and select a color.

6. Click OK.

After the template is open, you can select page, grid and printer options and add image and textobjects.

28

6Chapter 6

Using the TemplateDesigner

Saving Templates

Once you have finished designing and adjusting the options for a new template, you can save the tem-plate for use in FotoSlate. Templates are saved using the .xml extension.

To save a new template:

1. Click File | Save As.2. In the Name field, type a name for the template.3. In the Folder field, select a folder or click New Folder to create one.4. Click OK.

Opening Templates

You can open and make changes to previously saved FotoSlate templates.

To open an existing template for editing:

1. In the Folder tree, locate the folder containing the desired template, and double-click it.2. In the Preview pane, do one of the following:

• Right-click the thumbnail, and in the shortcut menu, select Open Template.• Double-click the thumbnail.

Adding Image andText Objects

Once you have started a new template or have an existing template open for editing, you can add textand image objects, or edit existing objects using the tool palette and alignment tools.

To add image objects, do one of the following:

• Click the Image button, and click on the template.• Drag the Image button onto the template.

To add text objects, do one of the following:

• Click theText button, and click on the template.• Drag the Text button onto the template.

To resize an image or text object:

1. Select an object.2. Place the mouse pointer over the object outline until the mouse pointer changes to a double-

sided arrow.3. Click and resize the outline.

29

To move an image or text object:

1. Select one or more objects.2. Place the mouse pointer over the object until the mouse pointer changes to a four-sided

arrow.3. Click and move the object.

Aligning Objects

You can perform sophisticated alignment operations using the alignment tools. Some alignment toolsrequire you to select more than one object before they are made available. The last object selected isthe one that all other objects are aligned with.

To align an object:

1. Select an object.2. Click the desired alignment tool button.

Use the grid and printer margin features to help align image and text objects according to pre-definedprinter and grid settings.

You can select options for each object. For more information, please see Defining Image and TextProperties.

To select multiple objects, do one of the following:

• Press and hold the Ctrl key, and select each image.• Click the template and drag a marquee over the objects.

Linking Objects

You can link image and text objects in a template. When a tem-plate is used in a layout, linked objects remain together. Thelinked text stays with it’s linked image when you move theimage to another location that contains a linked text object.

To link image and text objects:

1. Select both the image and text object. More than onetext object may be selected.

2. Click the Link button. A dashed line appears to identi-fy the link.

To unlink image and text objects:

1. Select both ends of the link (i.e., both of the objects inthe link). You can select multiple linked objects.

2. Click the Link button. The dashed line disappears.

30

Object Order

FotoSlate supports stacked image and text objects, which arecontrolled by the object order. The order indicates the object’sposition in a stack of overlapping objects. This stack is orientedalong the z axis, extending outward from the screen. The objectorder provides you with the ability to create collages and text-onimage effects.

To display Order:

Click Tools | Show Order. A number appears in thecorner of each object to show its position in the stack.

You can change the order of objects by repositioning them with-in the stack, but linked objects remain in sequential order.

To reposition objects:

1. Right-click the object.2. From the shortcut menu, select one of the following:

• Move to Front: Moves the object to the front of the stack.• Move to Back: Moves the object to the back of the stack.• Move Forward: Moves the object forward one position.• Move Back: Moves the object back one position.

Defining Image and Text Properties

You can define properties unique to each image and text object.

To set image properties:

1. Select an image object.2. Right-click, and from the shortcut menu, select Properties.3. Select from the following options:

• XPos: Defines the position of the object on the X axis.• YPos: Defines the position of the object on the Y axis.• Width: Specifies the width of the object.• Height: Specifies the height of the object.• Units: Specifies the unit of measurement.

4. Click OK.

31

To set text properties:

1. Select a text object.2. Right-click, and from the shortcut menu, select Properties.3. Select from the following options:

• XPos: Defines the position of the object on the X axis.• YPos: Defines the position of the object on the Y axis.• Width: Specifies the width of the object.• Height: Specifies the height of the object.• Units: Specifies the unit of measurement.

4. Select Use content to use preset text.5. Click OK.

Preset Text

Use preset text if you always want the same type of information present in the text object when thetemplate is used in a layout, regardless of the images added. You can add free-form text and imagespecific information, such as file name, number of pages, and creation date.

To define preset text content:

1. Select a text object.2. Right-click, and from the shortcut menu, select Properties.3. Click Define Content.4. If you want free-form text, type in the Text field.5. Click Choose Font to select a font style, color, and size.6. Click the Justification drop-down arrow and select from the following:

• Left Justify• Center Text• Right Justify

7. To insert image specific information, click Insert Format Character and select the desiredoptions. For more information about format characters, please see Adding Text to a Layout.

8. Select one of the following degrees of rotation for the text:• None• 90°• 180°• 270°

9. To use a background color in the text box, select Use background color. Click the Colorbutton to select a color.

10. Click OK.

32

Exporting and Importing Templates

You can create packages of templates to export to other FotoSlate users, and import packages sent toyou. When you create a package of templates, the Template Designer saves the package using the .tpfextension.

Please check our Web site regularly for information about new template packages:www.ACDSYSTEMS.com

To create a template package:

1. Click File | Export Templates.2. In the Templates field, select the folder containing the templates you want to export.3. Do one of the following:

• In the Export to field, type the path and file name of the new template package(e.g., C:\ACD\Templates\share.tpf).

• Click Browse and browse to a folder to save your exported file to. In the File namefield type a file name for the template package.

4. Click OK.

The template package file can now be sent to other FotoSlate users.

To import a template package:

1. Click File | Import Templates.2. Do one of the following:

• In the Import from field, type the path and file name of the template package youwish to import.• Click the Browse button and browse to the folder containing the template packageyou wish to import.

3. In the Templates field, select the folder to save the template package to.4. Click OK.

33

In this tutorial you will use the FotoSlate Template Designer to create a personalized template that con-tains an image object linked to a text object. Once you have created the template, you will add it toFotoSlate to use in a layout.

Open FotoSlate and begin the tutorial.

To create a template:

1. Click the Designer shortcut button.2. Click the New shortcut button.3. Click the Paper Size drop-down arrow and select 8 x 10.4. Select the Portrait orientation.5. Select the Autofill images and Autorotate images options.

• Autofill images: Asks you how you want to handleimages when you have multiple images selected inFotoSlate and add a page to the layout (i.e., createsone page per image, or fills the page with multipleimages).

• Autorotate images: Rotates images to best fitwhen an image is inserted into a FotoSlate page.

6. Select the Use background color check box.7. Click the Color button, select a color and click OK.8. Click OK. You have now created a blank template.9. Drag the Image button onto the template.10. Right-click the image object, and select Properties from the shortcut menu.

34

7Chapter 7

Creating a Template Tutorial

14. Drag theText button onto the template. When you add a text object to the template, it isselected and has a blue border.

15. Hold the Ctrl key and select the image object. Both the text object and the image object arenow selected and have blue borders. The image object border is a darker blue, identifying it asthe last object selected.

16. Release the Ctrl key.17. Do the following:

• Click the Make Same Size button.• Click the Align Left button.

18. Click outside of the objects to clear the selections. Make sure you still click inside the template.19. Select the text object.20. Use the Arrow keys on your keyboard to move and center the text object below the image

object.21. Hold the Ctrl key, select the image object, and release the Ctrl key.22. Click the Link button to link the text object to the image object. A dashed line is added to the

template to identify the link between the two objects. If you move an image to another imagebox in the layout, any text linked to that image follows the image to the new location (provid-ing the new image box also contains a linked text box).

23. Click File | Save.24. Type My First Template into the Name field.25. Double-click the My Templates folder to open

the folder.26. Click the New Folder button.27. Type Jane's Templates in the New Folder text

field and press the Enter key.28. Select the Jane's Templates folder.29. Click OK.

35

11. Click the Units drop-down arrow and select Inches.12. Type the following values:

• XPos: 0.250• YPos: 0.250• Width: 7.500• Height: 4.625

13. Click OK.

You have now created your first customized template.

30. To return to FotoSlate, click File | Exit to FotoSlate.31. In FotoSlate, click Add Page. Your new template is displayed in the Add Page dialog box.32. Click OK. It is now ready for you to add your images and text to create a FotoSlate layout.

Please refer to the Chapter 3 Using FotoSlate in the manual for further information.

36

Appendix 1: Supported Image Formats

FotoSlate supports the following image formats.

BMP Windows Bitmap Windows and OS/2; 2/8/16/24/32 bpp; RLE and uncompressed

EMF Enhanced Metafile Win32 enhanced placeable metafilesFormat

GIF Graphics Interchange Single page and animated; 87a and 89aFormat

JPEG Joint Photography JFIF and Adobe(tm) CMYKExperts Group

PCX ZSoft Publisher’s All sub-types supportedPaintbrush

PIC SoftImage PIC All sub-types supportedPNG Portable Network All sub-types supported

GraphicsTGA Targa TGA All sub-types supportedTIFF Tag Image File Format 1/2/4/12/16 bits per sample, 1-4 samples per

pixelBilevel / RGB / Paletted / SMYK / YCrCb / LOGL / LOGLUV;Uncompressed / PackBits / LZW / ThunderScan /SGILog / CCITT / ZIP / NEXT / New-JPEG (no v6.0 JPEG support)Support for multi-page documents

WMF Windows Metafile Format Win 3.x placeable metafiles

Support for further image formats can be added by installing PicaView or ACDSee. For more informa-tion, visit our Web site at: www.ACDSYSTEMS.com/English/Products/index.htm

37

Appendix 2: FotoSlate Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut CommandAlt + 0 View 100%Ctrl + 1 View FitPageAlt + 1 View 10%Ctrl + 2 View Two PagesAlt + 2 View 25%Ctrl + 4 View Four PagesAlt + 5 View 50%Ctrl + A Select AllCtrl + Shift + A Select NoneCtrl + G Add PagesCtrl + I Invert SelectionCtrl + L Add Previously Used TemplateCtrl + M Add ImagesCtrl + N New LayoutCtrl + O Open LayoutCtrl + P Print LayoutCtrl + S Save LayoutCtrl + T Open Template DesignerDelete Remove ImageF1 HelpCtrl + Enter Edit ImageCtrl + W View Fit WidthCtrl + X ExitCtrl + Y RedoCtrl + Z Undo

38

Appendix 3: Template Designer Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut CommandCtrl + A Select AllCtrl + Shift + A Select NoneCtrl + C CopyCtrl + D Show OrderCtrl + G Set GridCtrl + I Set PropertiesCtrl + L LinkCtrl + M Show Printer MarginsCtrl + N New TemplateCtrl + O Open TemplateCtrl + S SaveCtrl + V PasteDelete DeleteEscape ExitF1 HelpF5 RefreshCtrl + X CutCtrl + Y RedoCtrl + Z Undo

39

Appendix 4: Contacting ACD Systems

Contact us by mail at:

North America

ACD Systems Inc.2201 North Collins, Suite #100Arlington, TX 76011, USA

International

ACD Systems Ltd.PO Box 36Saanichton, BCV8M 2C3, Canada

Technical Support

By purchasing this product, you receive ongoing, preferred treatment by our technical support team,should the need arise. If you have any technical related questions or general feedback, please visit ourWeb site at: www.acdsystems.com/English/Support/

Telephone us for technical support at: 1 (250) 544-6701. Our office hours are Monday to Friday, 7:00A.M. to 5:00 P.M. PST. During U.S. and Canadian statutory holidays, our hours of support are 8:00 A.M.to 4:00 P.M. PST.

Telephone calls for Technical Support are subject to international rates if calling from outside ofCanada, and/or long distance charges if calling from within Canada.

Feedback

Your feedback is important to us. Many features and portions of the interface continue to be influencedby comments from users. So, if you have a grand idea for a new feature, or a better way of doingsomething, please drop us a note.

Contact us Monday to Friday, 7:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. PST. During U.S. and Canadian statutory holidays,our hours of support are 8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. PST.

E-mail: ideas@acdsystems.comTelephone: 1 (250) 544-6700

This e-mail address is not intended for technical support questions; technical related questions will notreceive a reply.

40

Index

addingimage objects 29images 11templates 11text 15text objects 29

album 11alignment tools 25blackpoint 20blurring 21brightness 20colorize 22colors 20contrast 20creating a layout 12creating a template 34despeckling 21editing images 14exporting 33filtersblur 21colorize 22despeckle 21sepia 22sharpen 21

format characters 16FotoSlateinstalling 3options 7PLP files 17starting 3system requirements 2toolbar 6uninstalling 3user interface 5workspace 5

gamma 21gamma correction 17grids 26hue 20Image Editortoolbar 9using 19

imagesadding 11adjusting 20blurring 21

41

colorize 22cropping 19despeckling 21editing 14flipping 19manipulating 13multipage 13rotating 19sharpening 21

importing 33installing 3layoutscreating 12printing 16saving 16

levels 20lightness 20links 30manipulating images 13margins 27Microsoft® Internet Explorer 5.0 2objectsaligning 30image 29linking 30order 31text 29

options, FotoSlateimage 7page color 8printing 8text 8

options, Template Designer 26grid properties 26page properties 26printer margins 27

palette 25preset text 32printing 17propertiesimage 31text 31

saving 16sepia 22sharpening 21sheet 11shortcut menus 6

starting 3from ACDSee 3.1 (SR-1) 3from ACDSee 4.0 or greater 4from PicaView 4stand-alone version 3

system requirements 2Template Designertools 24workspace 23

templatesadding to FotoSlate 12album page 11creating 28, 34designing 23exporting 33importing 33objects, adding 29opening 28removing from FotoSlate 12saving 28sheet page 11

test pages 17textadding 15color 15font 15format characters 16justify 15size 15

toolbarsFotoSlate 6Image Editor 9Template Designer 24

tutorial 34uninstalling 3user interface 5whitepoint 20

42